


Matchmaker, Matchmaker

by therealjanebingley



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Chat Noir is a hottie, F/M, Fluff, Kwami Swap, Matchmaker Plagg, eventual identity reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-23 03:28:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23138314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therealjanebingley/pseuds/therealjanebingley
Summary: Tired of listening to Adrien pining after Ladybug, Plagg decides to play matchmaker and resolve the love square once and for all.It goes about as well as you would expect.ON HIATUS.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Plagg/Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)
Comments: 33
Kudos: 158





	1. Misterbug appreciation day

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based on "Reflektdoll". I haven't seen it in a while, so forgive the inconsistencies.

Hawkmoth had always had terrible timing. Marinette was losing track of all the strange places she'd transformed - dumpsters, halfway out a fifth-story window, inside a bag of flour, and even her bathtub, during what was supposed to be a relaxing bath. Getting home before her transformation wore off had never been as urgent as it was that day.

But by far the worst situation she'd ever been stuck in was this: an akuma was attacking Paris, and Marinette didn't have her Ladybug earrings.

It had been her idea, too, to model her own designs for the photoshoot. Originally Juleka volunteered to do it, but she'd gotten stage fright and Marinette stepped in. And she couldn't pretend she wasn't excited to model next to Adrien! They would be in pictures together! Just the two of them! Marinette was so focused on thinking of cute scrapbook designs to show their future children that she barely noticed Tikki's protests as she took off her earrings. "Don't worry, Tikki," she said, placing her miraculous back in its box. "It's just for a few minutes."

Unfortunately, a few minutes was all it took for an akuma to strike.

And now Marinette was stranded in the park watching Juleka, who was now Reflekta for the second time, steering a giant Reflektdoll around. "I am never taking those earrings off again," she vowed, sprinting back towards the car. A giant pink blast hit the street, hurling cars through the air. Marinette dove behind a tree, heart in her throat and panic heavy in her gut. Tikki was in Gorilla's car! Did it get hit? What if Tikki was hurt?

Marinette ran into the street, avoiding pink Reflekta-clones. She spotted Gorilla's car in the chaos, at least twenty feet from its parking spot and flipped upside-down. "Tikki!" The trunk was hanging open, school bags and notebooks strewn on the ground beneath it. Marinette tore through them. She didn't see her kwami anywhere.

"Hello there, Ladybug," a voice drawled. Marinettte whirled around and spotted a small black...bug? Mouse? Bug-mouse? Oh, a kwami!

"Are you Chat Noir's kwami?" she asked, holding out her hands. "Where's Tikki? Is she okay?"

"I'm Plagg," Plagg told her, plopping down on her palm. "It looks like both you and Chat Noir misplaced your miraculous today, and Tikki found his civilian form first. Which means you get to be the cool half of the team today." He held out a ring - Chat Noir's ring.

Marinette's brain was stuck halfway between processing the coincidence that both she and Chat Noir would lose their miraculous on the same day, and being mildly offended that Plagg considered himself the 'cool' half of the team. Before she could formulate a response, they heard the familiar zip of a yo-yo string followed by an even more familiar voice.

"Haven't you heard? Makeovers are so passe. These days it's all about being comfortable in your own skin!" A red-and-black figure stood on the fence surrounding the park, swinging his yo-yo at the giant Reflektdoll.

Somewhere in the back of Marinette's mind she knew she should be helping her partner, but all she could do at the moment was stare. "Oh no," she murmured, tracking his movements with her eyes. She was used to watching Chat Noir (Misterbug?) move, slim almost to the point of being skinny, which was only emphasized by his skintight black suit. But the ladybug suit was bright red, with black spots and paneling, and it emphasized his muscles in a way the chat noir suit didn't. He balanced up on the fence, tall and steady and sure. He had all the grace and poise of a dancer, or a model.

"Uh, Pigtails?" Plagg poked her hand. "Shouldn't you be fighting the akuma?"

"Oh no," she said again, unable to tear her eyes from her partner. "Plagg, I think Chat Noir might be hot."

Plagg cackled. He picked up the ring and slipped it on Marinette's finger. "As much as I would love to stay and mock you for that, I believe the words you're looking for are 'claws out'."

Marinette managed to look back at the kwami in her hand, face flushed. "Right," she squeaked. "Plagg, claws out!"

It was worse up close. Usually Chat Noir had a wild, bad-boy kind of look to him, like he drove a motorcycle and lived in an underground cave system. But in the ladybug suit, he looked almost...preppy. His hair wasn't quite as unkempt, his eyes were still bright green (and without the sclera they looked even brighter), and his black-and-red mask didn't hide as much of his face. Instead of leaning casually on his baton, he stood in a firm fighting stance, yo-yo at the ready. He looked like the poster boy for super-heroism. For a moment, Ladynoir was forcibly reminded of Adrien, which shocked her so much that she almost missed landing on the fence next to him.

"Nice of you to drop in, Bugaboo," Misterbug said, catching the yo-yo and flashing a blinding smile at her.

Ladynoir nearly lost her balance. "Hey," she said, spinning her baton nervously. "Kinda crazy we both lost our miraculous today, huh?"

"A little change is good, don't you think?" he asked, winking. "I think you look paw-sitively purr-fect in black."

Ladynoir flushed, and then shook her head and refocused. "What do you think? Akuma in the same place as last time?"

"The bracelet? Probably, my Lady." His eyebrows shot up. "Ooh! You can be Ladynoir!"

She smiled. "Whatever you say, Misterbug." She reached up reflexively to flick the bell at his throat, but it wasn't there. They both stared at her hand for a moment.

"Give me your miraculous!" Reflekta demanded, aiming the giant doll at them. Misterbug grabbed Ladynoir around the waist and swung them out of the sentimonster's path, just missing the pink blast. Something about the feel of his muscular frame pressed against her, his firm and protective hold on her waist, and the determined look on his face made her heart flip flop in her chest. _It's just Chat Noir,_ she reminded herself. _It's just your silly kitty._

But it was like she was seeing him in a new light. Everything about him was so transparent, so straightforward - he wanted a mirror, the lucky charm gave him a mirror. He was proud of his latest pun? He didn't hide it. He was worried when she got too close to danger? It was written on his face. Her partner was so...so...

Genuine.

Ever the professional, Ladynoir didn't let this newfound revelation distract her from the fight. Misterbug cleansed the akuma and the feather, and the duo bumped fists. "Pound it!"

"Not bad, Buggaboy," Ladynoir teased, and Misterbug's face lit up at the play on words. She giggled - her kitty really did make her happy.

"Until the next fight, my Ladynoir," he said, bowing. He swung away as she used the baton to propel herself into a nearby alley.

"Claws in." A flash of green light consumed her, and Plagg spun out of the ring.

"So, what were you saying earlier, Pigtails?" Plagg drawled. "Something about my Chosen being so devastatingly attractive you could barely land on your feet?"

Marinette crossed her arms. "Don't you dare tell him I said that, Plagg. I'd never hear the end of it."

"Neither would I," the kwami grumbled, "and he already swoons over you enough as it is." Before Marinette could respond, Plagg tugged the ring off her finger. "It was a pleasure working with you, Ladybug."

Marinette giggled. "The pleasure's all mine, Plagg." He zoomed off, and she didn't have to wait long before Tikki returned with her earrings. "Tikki! Thank goodness! I will never take these earrings off again, I promise."

"We're lucky it worked out this time," Tikki agreed, fastening the left earring as Marinette did the right one. "How was working with Plagg? I haven't seen him in ages."

The wistful tone in her voice made Marinette pause. "You must miss him."

"I do," Tikki said, settling in Marinette's outstretched hand. "We're like you and Chat Noir. He's my other half! As much as he annoys me sometimes, we couldn't exist without each other."

"Hmm," her Chosen mused, fishing a cookie from her pocket. "I wonder if there's something we can do about that."


	2. In This House, We Communicate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug has a plan to give Plagg & Tikki some time together that won't compromise their identities and will keep the kwamis close in case of attack.
> 
> We're strengthening our Yin & Yang bond with some good old communicating, folks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have now departed from any semblance of canon. Please keep your hands and feet inside the AU at all times.

Ladybug had to wait four days for another akuma attack so she could tell Chat Noir about her plan. He’d agreed immediately, kissing the back of her hand with a wink.

She smiled fondly at the thought of it. Of course her kitty was on board – he trusted her plans completely, and he loved to make other people happy. Especially her.

They met in the early hours of the morning, long before either Adrien or Marinette were expected to be awake. Ladybug swung through the dark, cold wind whistling past her, the moon and the waking sky guiding her way. Chat Noir was already on the rooftop when she arrived. He sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the building, and she could just hear the little tune he was singing to himself.

His back was to her, and what a back it was. Those shoulders –

_Focus_ , she scolded herself. It was bad enough that Misterbug had reminded her of Adrien; now Adrien was reminding her of Chat Noir. There were moments where his model smile would slip into a genuine grin, or he would make a terrible pun – and of course, she could see how gentlemanly her kitty was when Adrien used the same mannerisms (if a little toned down). The good news was that these moments shocked Marinette into behaving normally around him, so it didn’t frustrate her as much as she thought it would.

“Hi, Chat.” Ladybug held out a hand and pulled him to his feet.

“My Lady,” he said, yawning widely. “Looking lovely this morning.”

She warmed at the compliment. “Thanks for agreeing to this, even though it means missing out on sleep.”

“Anything for you, Bugaboo.” Ladybug called for her lucky charm, and an old-fashioned room dividing screen fell onto the roof (red with black spots, of course). “Ready, Kitty?”

“Ready.” The heroes stood on either side of the divider, out of each other’s sight, and let their transformations go. Plagg and Tikki spun out into the early morning air. “Thanks for thinking of this, Ladybug,” Tikki said, kissing Marinette’s cheek.

“Tell me you brought some cheese,” came Plagg’s muffled voice from the other side of the divider.

“Two pieces – one for now, one for the journey home,” Adrien said, tossing the camembert at his kwami.

“Plagg,” Tikki scolded, “you don’t need to eat right now. We shouldn’t keep them out here any longer than we have to.”

Plagg phased through the divider. “Whatever you say, Sugarcube.”

“And don’t call me Sugarcube.” Tikki’s words were undercut by the affection in her tone. The two kwamis zoomed away to the other side of the roof, affectionately bickering all the way.

Adrien sat down, leaning his back against the screen. “I’m pretty sure we have that conversation every day, but with ‘Bugaboo’ instead of ‘Sugarcube’.”

Marinette laughed. “So we’re just our kwamis, but bigger and less powerful?”

“Please don’t compare me to Plagg,” Adrien groaned. “All he does is complain and eat cheese.”

She sat and leaned back against the divider. “And all you do it make lame jokes and smell like cheese,” she pointed out.

“Not my fault, Bugaboo.”

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Adrien worked up the courage to speak. “Hey, Ladybug?”

“Yes, Chat?”

“Why is it so important to you that we don’t know each other’s identities?”

Marinette thought for a moment. “When I first met Tikki – after I stopped throwing things at her – she gave me two jobs: protect Paris, and keep your identity a secret. From everyone.” She sighed. “It frustrates me too, Chat, but I trust Tikki and I trust Master Fu. If they believe it really is safer for us to stay in the dark about this, then it must be safer.”

Adrien picked at his fingers. “That makes sense,” he admitted. “But I still don’t like it.”

“I know.”

“Did you really throw things at Tikki?”

Marinette groaned. “Yes. I couldn’t decide if she was a giant bug or a flying mouse, so I panicked.”

Adrien laughed. “I was so excited to transform that I didn’t let Plagg explain everything to me. If only I’d found out about his camembert addiction before I committed.”

Marinette hugged her knees. “If you could go back,” she started, “and Master Fu offered you the choice of becoming Chat Noir, and you knew everything about it that you know now – would you still do it?”

He answered immediately. “Absolutely. I wouldn’t give this up for the world.”

She smiled to herself. “Yeah. Me, too.” She turned and sat cross-legged, facing the divider. “Can we try something?”

“Sure.”

“Okay. I want you to think of one word that describes what being Chat Noir means to you, and I’m going to think of one word that describes what being Ladybug means to me, and we’re going to say them at the same time.”

Adrien chuckled, turning around to face the screen. “Like the newlywed game? Are you testing our compatibility, my Lady?”

Marinette rolled her eyes, even though she knew he couldn’t see them. “Just because we can’t know each other’s identities doesn’t mean we can’t know anything about each other. And I think it’ll help us understand each other more.”

“You just said ‘each other’ so many times, it’s lost all meaning to me now.”

“Do you want to do it or not, Kitty?”

Adrien smiled at the nickname, placing a hand on the screen. “Of course I do, my Lady. And I already have my word.”

“Me, too. Ready? One, two, three!”

Adrien said, “Freedom,” just as Marinette said, “Duty.”

“Freedom?” Marinette asked, curiosity piqued.

Adrien was incredulous. “Duty?”

“Well, yeah. Being Ladybug is first and foremost about my responsibility to save Paris. Like I said, I love being Ladybug - but when the suit is on, anything that doesn’t have to do with saving Paris is secondary.”

Adrien was quiet for a moment. “I know I’m not usually as focused as you are, but I can be more serious, if you want.”

“What?” Marinette placed a hand on the divider. “Chat, I’m not asking you to change. Sure, sometimes your jokes are poorly timed, but they keep me from getting too stressed. You help keep the pressure from drowning me.”

He smiled softly. “Thank you, my Lady.”

“So freedom, huh?”

Adrien ran a hand through his hair. “My civilian life is…unusual. Complicated. I always have to look and act a certain way, and I’m not really allowed to make my own decisions.”

Marinette’s heart clenched. “So when you’re Chat Noir, you get to do whatever you want.”

“Exactly! I can make bad jokes and do ridiculous stuff and nobody will reprimand me for it. Well, except for you,” he joked.

“Oh Chat – I can stop being mean about your jokes.”

“No, no!” Adrien leaned his forehead against the screen. “I like our dynamic the way it is. I like that we can tease each other.”

“Me, too.” Marinette leaned her head against the divider. “I hope you know you can be yourself around me, Chat. I don’t want you to feel pressured to act a certain way.”

“And you don’t have to carry all of this by yourself, my Lady,” he returned. “I’ll share the weight with you.”

They sat like that for a while, each pressing their forehead against the divider, neither knowing how close the other was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next time, Plagg & Tikki's conversation.
> 
> Comments make my day!


	3. Make Me a Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last time we heard Marinette & Adrien's conversation - this time, we hear Plagg & Tikki's. 
> 
> In which Plagg enacts his matchmaking sceme.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally - meet matchmaker Plagg!

"And don't call me Sugarcube." Tikki flew off to the other side of the roof, Plagg close behind her. 

"I don't know why they need that stupid screen," Plagg grumbled. "Everything would be so much simpler if they knew."

Tikki tutted. "You know that's not true. Do you really think Marinette would be able to fight akumas if she knew Chat Noir was Adrien? She can barely string two words together around him! It would be a disaster!"

"It would be like - what do the humans say? Like throwing her into the deep end to teach her how to swim. Sure, she'd struggle," Plagg said, shrugging, "but she'd survive."

"I will not purposefully make things harder for my Chosen," Tikki said, crossing her little arms. "Just give them a few years, Plagg. Chat Noir will calm down around Ladybug, Marinette will calm down around Adrien, and then it will be safe for them to know. Right now a reveal could jeopardize their partnership."

"Who's to say we can't help them with that?" Plagg asked innocently. "For example, I bet Pigtails would keep her cool with Adrien if she switched to crushing on Chat Noir."

Tikki frowned. She had seen Plagg act this way before, and it never boded well for anyone. "Do not get involved, Plagg," she warned. "You know they're not ready."

"And they never will be if we don't give them a nudge in the right direction.," Plagg argued.

"Giving people a 'nudge' is not exactly your specialty," she countered. "I'd say you tend to launch them out of a cannon instead."

"Some people just need to be launched!"

Tikki narrowed her adorable eyes. "Really, Plagg? Did Atlantis need to be _launched_ to the bottom of the ocean? Did Pangea need to be _launched_ into seven separate continents? Did the senate of Rome need to be _launched_ into assassinating Caesar?"

"I'm the god of destruction, Tikki," he huffed. "And Caesar was the worst!"

"How many millions of years have we been alive? We haven't even been with these chosen for a full year yet. Be patient."

"I hate being patient. Help me nudge them together, Tikki." Plagg floated upside-down in front of her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know you want to."

Tikki bopped him away with her head. "We have this conversation with ever pair. You know I won't interfere. Besides, just look at them." The two kwamis studied their chosen for a moment. Adrien and Marinette were sitting on either side of the divider, facing each other, each holding a hand against the screen. "They're made for each other," Tikki sighed happily. "They'll figure it out."

"Not any time soon," Plagg grumbled. "Adrien might the best Chat Noir I've ever had, but he's also one of the dumbest. If I have to hear the words 'Marinette is just a friend' one more time - not to mention Marinette would clearly be in love with Chat Noir if she hadn't met Adrien. Aren't you tired of her being in denial?"

"Plagg," Tikki warned.

"Fine." He turned away dramatically. "If you won't help me, I know someone who will. I have a new partner."

"Excuse me?!" Tikki shot up so she could look down menacingly at him. "What do you mean, a new partner?"

Plagg cackled. "Jealous, Sugarcube? Don't worry, they're nothing compared to you. But my kid doesn't have enough people looking out for him, so I've had to forge some alliances."

Tikki's eyes narrowed again. "Tell me you haven't done anything dangerous."

"It's me, Sugarcube. I'm always doing something dangerous."

___________________________________________

After re-transforming and bidding his Lady good morning, Chat Noir vaulted back toward his house. The sun had finally spilled over the horizon, casting Paris in a golden glow that Adrien would have admired more if he wasn't so tired. Of course, he would meet his Lady wherever and whenever she asked - but he was still eager for a cat nap before school. 

Of course, Plagg had other ideas.

Adrien dropped his transformation, falling facedown onto his bed. "So," the little kwami drawled, "what did you and Ladybug talk about?"

"Sleep now. Talk later."

Plagg drifted over and settled near his chosen's head. "Come on, kid - usually you can't wait to talk about Ladybug."

With a defeated sigh, Adrien rolled over to face his kwami. "I don't really know what to make of itt, Plagg."

Plagg big back a mocking retort. He'd seen this look in his chosen's eyes far too often - it was the look that came right before a lovesick monologue about Ladybug. The kwami settled in, trying his best to look encouraging, which for him meant imitating Tikki. "Tell me more."

"Well, she said that just because we can't know each other's identities doesn't mean we can't know more about each other. And that's great! I've always wanted to know more about my Lady, but she never lets me in because it's 'too dangerous'."

Plagg hummed in agreement. "Secrets aren't great for relationships," he offered.

Adrien dragged a hand through his hair. "I know. And that's the thing, Plagg - she said being Ladybug is about duty and responsibility to her. That when she's Ladybug, anything that isn't about saving Paris is secondary."

Plagg continued to repress his natural instincts (make a snarky comment and demand more cheese) in favor of asking himself, _what would Tikki do?_ Something grossly encouraging, probably. "So as long as Hawkmoth's around..."

"She's never going to consider dating me," Adrien finished miserably. "She's too stubborn and too professional." He grabbed his pillow, stuffing his face in it. "I love that about her."

"Listen, kid. You want my advice?"

"No," came the muffled reply.

"Well you're going to get it anyways. Think about the things you like about Ladybug - she's stubborn and professional, she looks good in spandex, whatever. Then find somebody who shares those qualities. Somebody you could have a realistic, sustainable relationship with." _Like her alter ego, Marinette!_

Adrien lifted his head and stared at his kwami. "Plagg, that was...that was actually really good advice."

"Duh. I've been alive for eons, kid. I've seen it all."

"Someone like Ladybug..." Adrien murmured, his eyes already closing. 

_How about the girl you called your Everyday Ladybug?_

Plagg zoomed to the fridge. "Get some rest, dummy. I'm taking extra camembert as payment for that life-changing advice." The kwami dove into the fridge, snickering to himself. This was too easy! Step one (make Adrien think he has no chance with Ladybug) was pretty much done, and Plagg hardly had to do any work. But he knew that step two (remove 'Marinette is just a friend' from Adrien's vocabulary) would require a little more planning.

It was time for Plagg to call on his ally.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> More chapters are in the works, but I am a grad student and it might take some time for the next installment. But I'm committed! I will see this to the end!!


End file.
